Safety device for cars



(No Model.)

L. J. ooUon. SAFETY DEVICE FOR 01138. I No. 504,078. Patented Aug. 29',1893.

d o 1 0 d UNrrE STATES.

LATENT ries.-

LEVI COUCH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR CARS.

SPECIFlZGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 504,078, dated August29, 1893.

Application filed May 2, 1893.

To 0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVI J (COUCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices forRail way-Oars, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is anend view of a car showing the preferred form of my safety device; Fig. 2a side elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 a plan view of one of thespring-actuated shoes at the ends of the transverse bar.

This invention is designed to provide a railway-car with a safety devicewhich will be independent of the trucks and which will be so arrangedthat it will support the car and permit the same to move along the railsin case of accident to any of the wheels or trucks, as is more fullyhereinafter described.

In the drawings a designates a strong transverse bar, which extendsacross the road-bed, a few inches above the rails, and projects out oneither side of the same a suitable distance. The lower side of bar a isrounded 'and is preferably supported about on a level with the loweredge of the cow-catcher, so that whatever obstructions the latter passeswill not interfere with the bar. The bar a is connected rigidly by aseries of very strong braces c to another transverse bar I)boltedstrongly to the under side of the car-beams. The bar a is furtherbraced by a suitable number of curved braces d, which extend rearwardlyunder the car and are bolted rigidly to beams 6, extending rearwardlyfrom the beam 1) and secured to the car, said braces d beingsufficiently curved to avoid interference with the adjacent truck. Thebraces d may be further braced by short braces 01', as shown in Fig. 2.

Vertically movable shoes f are carried on the ends of the bar .01, theseshoes being beveled and rounded on their lower and exterior sides butmade straight on their inner sides. The lower edges of the shoesnormally depend a short distance below the lower edge of bar a and theyextend transversely to said bar and parallel with the rails. Each shoeis connected rigidly to two separated bars f, connected rigidly togetherby plates f", se-

Serial No. 472,659- (No model.)

cured on their upper sides, said bars closely embracing the reduced endg of the bar a and 'being'pivoted thereto at their inner ends by ahorizontal transverse bolt f Astrong flat spring f is riveted to bar aand its free end is riveted under one of the transverse plates f Thisconstruction permits the shoes to yield upwardly in passing crossingsand other obstructions, their springs serving to keep them stronglypressed down to their normal positions.

In case the body of the car is let down, by an accident to one of thetrucks or wheels, it will be observed that the rigid bar a willimmediately come to rest on the rails and ride along the same andsupport the car until the train can be stopped. The bar bearing directlyon the rails and supporting a portion of the weight of the car, will actas a powerful rail-brake, which will serve to materially assist inautomatically stopping the train and notifying the engineer of theaccident. Inasmuch as the car will have but a slight fall before the barstrikes the rail, the bar and its braces may be readily madesufficiently rigid to withstand the strain. The shoes at the ends of thebar serve to prevent the same leaving the track, and by extending thebar a considerable distance beyond each side of the truck, it willbe'observed, there will be no danger that an accident will throw the carfar enough to one side or the other to prevent the shoesen'gaging theouter sides of the rails. While the bar is riding on the rails, shouldan obstruction, such as a switch-rail, crossrail, &c., be encountered bythe shoes they will automatically rise sufficiently to pass over theobstruction and will quickly spring into place again. To facilitate thepassage of the shoes over variously shaped obstructions, they aretapered toward each end and are rounded and beveled, as shown anddescribed. The advantage of carrying the ends of the bars close to'theshoesby means of the extensions g-is that said extensions will bear uponthe rails and prevent the weight of the car from raising the bars f ofthe shoes, as

is evident.

As the most frequent railroad accidents result from accidents to thewheels and trucks, it is evident that a reliable safety device that isentirelyindependent of the trucks will serve to save much property andmany lives.

My device is not costly, but quite simple in construction and may beattached to cars of the usual construction Without altering them.

The device will also act as a fender and assist in saving lives, and itwill not be unsightly, as it will be practically hidden by the steps ofthe car.

The device may be attached at other points besides at the ends of thecars as shown, if desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. Thecombination with a car supported on trucks of a rigid transverse barextending under the body of the car and connected to the same by aseries of rigid braces, the bar being supported a short distance abovethe rails and extending outwardly on each side of the same and providedwith shoes, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a car and truck, a rigid transverse bar connectedto the car and extending outwardly on each side of the rails, and anupwardly-yielding shoe on each end of the bar, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of a car and a truck, a rigid frame depending fromthe car and carrying a rigid transverse bar at its lower end, a shoepivoted 011 each end of the bar and depending below the lower edge ofthe bar, and

springs normally holding said shoes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI J. COUCH. Witnesses:

H. N. FoLLANsBnE, CHAS. HALL ADAMS.

